Council has formally publicly notified Stage 3 of its Proposed District Plan on 19 September 2019. This is the third stage of the District Plan review, with Stages 1 and 2 currently in a mixed stage of having been implemented/in effect, or appealed to the Environment Court.
Stage 3 is a real ‘mixed bag’ of provisions, with the most significant provisions being:
- A new Settlement Zone (replaces the previous ‘Township’ zonings of Glenorchy, Kinloch, Kingston, Luggate and Makarora).
- Re-zoning of Albert Town and Hawea to ‘Lower Density Suburban Residential’ Zone (the same as the majority of Wanaka).
- A new Wāhi Tūpuna chapter to assist in implementing the strategic direction set out in Chapter 5 Tangata Whenua in relation to providing for the kaitiakitanga of Kāi Tahu as Manawhenua in the district.
- Implementation of Residential Design Guidelines
Settlement Zone
The proposed new Settlement Zone will largely replace the existing ‘Township’ zonings of Glenorchy, Kinloch, Kingston, Luggate and Makarora. These provisions are largely the same as the current rules, however would make it easier to gain resource consent to have a residential flat (“granny flat”) at your property and a slight relaxation on the distance buildings have to be setback from neighbour’s boundaries (2m). The Glenorchy requirement to have a gable roof form with a minimum pitch from the horizontal of 25 degrees will still exist. Short-term accommodation for up to 90 nights/yr is proposed to be a permitted activity (no resource consent required, subject to compliance with standards).
Re-Zoning Albert Town and Hawea to ‘Lower Density Suburban Residential’ Zone
Council are proposing to re-zone Hawea and Albert Town to the ‘Lower Density Suburban Residential Zone’ (LDSR). This will bring the zonings of these areas in line with the rest of Wanaka, and is largely expected given these areas are serviced with Council infrastructure (water supply, wastewater disposal). A re-zoning to LDSR would significant increase the potential for property owners in Albert Town and Hawea to develop their land.
For example, under the current rules, you are only allowed to have one dwelling per 800m2 of land – meaning most properties are only single-dwelling capable (and with no residential flats). Under the LDR rules, it will be possible to have up to one dwelling per 300m2 of site area (subject to resource consent), each with a residential flat. Yes, these rules will significantly up-zone these two areas.
The one downside for owners who wish to use their property for short-term accommodation: the LDSR zone will mean that a resource consent is required to rent out your entire house for short term accommodation (i.e. no more ’90 days/yr without a resource consent’).
New Wāhi Tūpuna Chapter
Council are proposing to introduce a new Wāhi Tūpuna chapter. This chapter will identify specific wāhi tūpuna areas with an overlay on the planning maps. In general, these areas are generally around the edges of the Lakes and Rivers, and up valleys. In general, urban areas are excluded – except for Glenorchy, Kingston, and a portion of Hawea.
In general, land within this zone will fall under a more restrictive resource management regime, with the following likely to be impacted (and likely require consultation with Manawhenua and/or a cultural impact assessment):
- Farm buildings will require resource consent
- Increased setback of buildings from water bodies now required
- Restricting earthworks to a maximum of 10m3 before resource consent is needed
- Subdivision of land in wāhi tūpuna areas
Implementation of Residential Design Guidelines
Council are proposing to implement new Residential Guidelines – to apply to the High Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, and Lower Density Suburban Residential Zones. It is intended that this guideline will be referred to as a part of a resource consent application assessment, to help ensure the creation of high quality residential neighbourhoods.
These guidelines will be ‘built into’ the District Plan by being a part of the assessment for a proposal where multiple residential units are proposed on a site, when commercial activities are proposed, and when various non-compliances with development standards are proposed (such as building setbacks from boundaries, maximum building coverage, building length etc).
Want to Make a Submission?
Submissions close 18 November 2019. You can make a submission on the Council’s website.